Latch switch arrangement for dishwasher

ABSTRACT

A latch strike, switch and cover for the switch form an assembly in which the parts interfit with each other with the entire assembly being mounted on the top wall of the tub in a fashion which permits the assembly to be removed without pulling the dishwasher tub out from underneath the counter top.

United States Patent Hancock [54] LATCH SWITCH ARRANGEMENT FOR DISHWASHER [72] inventor: Charlie L. Hancock, Grove City,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

' Pittsburgh, Pa. [22] Filed: May 5, 1971 [21 Appl. No.: 140,529

[52] US. Cl. ..312/223, 312/222, ZOO/61.62

[51] Int. Cl .,.....E05c 7/06 [58] Field of Search ..312/223, 352, 296, 215, 222; 220/6162, 61.68, 166 BC, 168 B, 168 C,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,934,074 4/1960 Low ..200/61.62

[151 3,684,343 [451 Aug. 15, 1972 3,091,675 5/1963 Sholtes ..200/61.62 3,145,818. 8/1964 Stelli ..200/61.62 X 3,161,751 12/1964 Pusch et a1. ..200/166 BC 3,229,061 l/1966 Harroff ....200/6l .62 3,619,592 Lamb, Jr ..200/61.62 X

Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Attorney-F. H. Henson and E. C. Arenz 57 ABSTRACT A latch strike, switch and cover for the switch form an assembly in which the parts interfit with each other with the entire assembly being mounted on the top wall of the tub in a fashion which permits the assembly to be removed without pulling the dishwasher tub out from underneath the counter top.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LATCH SWITCHARRANGEMENT FOR DISHWASHER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention pertains generally to the art of dishwasher latches and switch arrangements.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has been the usual practice, so far as I know, to provide latching arrangements for undercounter dishwashers of the front opening type in which only the strike member is carried by the dishwasher tub, and the operable latching member and switch means controlled by the latching operation is carried by the dishwasher door. Examples of such arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,244,830 and 3,005,065. Mounting the latch operated switch in the door is advantageous in several respects. One advantage is that if the switch fails access to it for servicing is normally more easily accomplished when it is carried by the door than if carried on the exterior of the top wall. Also, the space between the tub top wall and the overlying counter top of the kitchen is typically highly limited.

However, one disadvantage of a switch carriedby the door is that lockout means should be provided, as in US. Pat. No. 3,005,065, to prevent the latch from being operated unless the door is ina substantially closed position. Providing such an arrangement sub stantially increases the complexity of the latch arrangement and accordingly its cost. The problem of preventing latch operation when the door is open is unnecessary if the switch is carried by the tub wall so that the switch cannot be actuated under normal circumstances unless the door is sufficiently closed that the latch will also latch the door closed.

Thus one aim of my invention is to provide a latch arrangement in which the switch is carried by the dishwasher tub and in which the disadvantages normally expected to be experienced therefrom are avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, strike means is mounted on the top wall of the tub and is fashioned so that switch means interfits with the strike means for proper positioning relative to the latch in its latching movement, means are provided to hold the switch means in said interfitted position, the holding means preferably taking the form of acover which is secured to the strike means through frictional engagement, and means are provided for fastening the strike member to the tub wall, preferably from a position interiorly of the tub.

The tub structure in the area in which the strike, switch and cover assembly is located is provided with cutouts which permit the assembly to be detached from the tub wall and removed without removing the dishwasher tub from under the countertop.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a generally schematic side view of a front opening dishwasher as installed, and with the door in its open position, to illustrate the general locational relationship of the parts;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view, partly broken, and partly exploded, of the upper, front center position and the latch operated partly toward a fully latched position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the somewhat schematic illustration shows a front opening undercounter dishwasher l in its installed position and with the door 12 in an open position. The door is adapted to be swung upwardly to a closed position. The latch 14 carried by the door at the center of its edge remote from its hinged edge, is then operable to latch the door shut and to cooperate with the assembly 16, mounted on the upper front center portion of the top wall 18 of the tub. It will be noted from FIGS. 1 and 3 that the forward open face of the tub includes a collar portion 20 which extends along opposite sides and the top of the tub and into which the thickness of the door 12 is received when the door is shut. This arrangement, which is typical with dishwashers, imposes a limited space condition between the top surface of the collar and the underside of the countertop 22. 7

Referring to FIG. 2, the assembly 16 is shown in exploded relation but with the strike member 24 located in its ultimately installed position on the top surface of the collar 20 and behind the upstanding flange 26 along the top forward edge of the dishwasher tub.

The strike 24 includes a latch receiving portion including a circular open slot 28 into which a hooking portion of the latch is received, and a switch mounting portion generally designated 30 which, as viewed from rear-to-front in FIG. 2, includes an upstanding stub I post 32, a hole 34, and an upwardly inclined car 36 at the forward edge of the strike.

The undersurface of the switch 38 seats on the switch receiving portion 30 of the strike member, and includes a downwardly projecting stub post located to be received by the hole 34, and an opening complementary to the upwardly projecting post 32 on the strike member. Neither of these parts on the underside of the switch are shown, but it will be appreciated that the interfitting and complementary relationship of these parts positions the switch properly on the latch strike member so that the switch actuating lever 40 is properly located to be operated by the hooking portion of the latch as it is turned through the open slot 28 of the strike member. The left face of the switch is provided with outwardly directed terminals 42 by which the electrical connections to the switch are made.

The third part of the assembly 16 is a cover and switch securing member 44 which is generally channelshaped as shown and includes an upper wall portion 46, front and rear legs 48 and 50, with turned in flanges 52 and 54 being provided along the lower edges of the legs.

To assemble the assembly 16, the electrical connections (not shown) are first made to the terminals 42,

the switch 38 is then seated on the switch receiving portion 30 of the strike member in the interfitted relationship noted before, and the cover 44 is then moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 so that the flange 52 frictionally engages the underside of the ear 36 of the latch strike, and the flange 54 frictionally engages the lower surface of the rear edge of the strike member 24. The cover 44 is slid to the right until the right edge of the leg 48 engages against the forwardly projecting portion of the strike member. It will be appreciated that thus far in the assembly no tools are needed to make the assembly. The assembly is then placed in position as shown on the collar (FIGS. 2 and 4) and machine screws 56 are then turned up through apertures in the collar 20 which align with the threaded holes 58 of the strike 24. The height of the cover 44 is established to correspond with the height of the switch 38 so that the upper portion 46 of the cover holds the switch 38 down into its interfitting relation with the strike member 24. Thus, the assembly has integrity as a unit, and is in turn fastened in place to the tub wall by means of the fasteners which are manipulated from the inside or interior side of the tub.

In FIG. 3, the arrangement of cutouts in the tub wall is illustrated. As there shown, a part circle cutout 60 is provided'along the forward portion of the collar wall 20 to accommodate the movement of the hooking portion of the latch. A stepped cutout 62 is also provided in the front flange 26. With this cutout arrangement, the assembly may be removed while the dishwasher tub is in place under the counter by simply removing the two fasteners 56 (FIG. 2), rotating the assembly in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and then tilting it downwardly and forwardly to withdraw it from the space the front flange 26. It will be appreciated that the wiring from the electrical connections is made long enough to permit pulling the assembly out sufficiently far to remove the cover and replace the switch if necessary.

FIG. 3.also shows how the depth of the door 12 is accommodated by the collar 20, with the top edge flange 64 of the door moving into facing relationship with the top flange 26 of the tub, when the door is in a closed position.

In FIG. 4 the relationship of the latch 14 to the as sembly 16, with the latch operated through part of its movement, is illustrated. The hook member 66 is illustrated in the cutout 60 and in engagement with a curved portion of the strike member. The latch itself is pivoted about a point designated 68 and is carried on a bracket mounted to the underside of the top edge wall of the door.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated construction is the currently preferred construction and provides certain advantages which may not be readily apparent without further explanation. Some of these advantages derive directly from the cover arrangement which, as noted before, also serves to secure the switch in its proper position. By providing a cover with sufficient lateral dimension in the upper portion (sideways dimension) the cover in position overlies the entirety of the switch including the terminals 42. Thus, if there 46 is of relatively thin metal material, the height of the assembly as a whole is kept at a minimum. It will be appreciated that a switch could be obtained which would receive several machine screws therethrough which could be turned into the strike member, but this would create problems of tolerance of screw length as well as require extreme care that in fastening the switch to the strike plate the screw was not overtightened, but was tightened sufficiently to hold it in place. Also by having the cover attached only to the strike member, as distinguished from attached to any part of the tub, the assembly as a whole can be readily removed for servicing.

I claim as my invention:

1. A latch strike and switch arrangement for a dishwasher having a forwardly-open face tub with a swingdown door carrying a latch thereon for cooperation with said arrangement, comprising:

strike means mounted on the top wall of said tub, ad-

jacent the front thereof, in a position to be engaged by said latch;

switch means interfitting with said strike means for proper positioning relative to said latch in its latching movement;

means holding said switch means in said interfitted position with said strike means; and

means fastening said strike means to said tub in said engageable position.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said holding means comprises a cover member frictionally engaging said strike means and having an upper portion pressing said switch means in said interfitting relation with said strike means.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein:

said cover member is a generally channel-shaped member with inwardly-directed flanges along the edges of each of the legs of said channel for engagement with opposite marginal edge portions of said strike means.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein:

said switch includes projecting terminal means; and

said upper portion of said cover means has sufficient lateral extent to overlie substantially theentirety of said switch including said terminals.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said fastening means includes threaded fasteners adapted to be turned up into said striking means through apertures provided in said top wall of said tub.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5 wherein:

said top wall of said tub includes a collar portion and an upstanding flange on the front thereof; and

said collar portion and said upstanding flange include cutout portions to accommodate the removal of said strike means, switch means, and holding means in assembled form through said cutout portions.

7. .A latch strike and switch arrangement for a dishwasher having a forwardly-open face tub with a swingdown door carrying a latch adapted to cooperate with said arrangement, comprising:

a strike member adapted to be mounted on the top surface of said tub adjacent the front thereof;

a switch seated on a portion of said strike member;

a cover and securing member engageable with said strike member to secure said switch in a predetermined position relative to said strike member; and

means to secure said strike member on said top surface of said tub, said securing means including fastening means adapted to be manipulated from the interior side of said tub. 

1. A latch strike and switch arrangement for a dishwasher having a forwardly-open face tub with a swingdown door carrying a latch thereon for cooperation with said arrangement, comprising: strike means mounted on the top wall of said tub, adjacent the front thereof, in a position to be engaged by said latch; switch means interfitting with said strike means for proper positioning relative to said latch in its latching movement; means holding said switch means in said interfitted position with said strike means; and means fastening said strike means to said tub in said engageable position.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein: said holding means comprises a cover Member frictionally engaging said strike means and having an upper portion pressing said switch means in said interfitting relation with said strike means.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein: said cover member is a generally channel-shaped member with inwardly-directed flanges along the edges of each of the legs of said channel for engagement with opposite marginal edge portions of said strike means.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein: said switch includes projecting terminal means; and said upper portion of said cover means has sufficient lateral extent to overlie substantially the entirety of said switch including said terminals.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein: said fastening means includes threaded fasteners adapted to be turned up into said striking means through apertures provided in said top wall of said tub.
 6. An arrangement according to claim 5 wherein: said top wall of said tub includes a collar portion and an upstanding flange on the front thereof; and said collar portion and said upstanding flange include cutout portions to accommodate the removal of said strike means, switch means, and holding means in assembled form through said cutout portions.
 7. A latch strike and switch arrangement for a dishwasher having a forwardly-open face tub with a swingdown door carrying a latch adapted to cooperate with said arrangement, comprising: a strike member adapted to be mounted on the top surface of said tub adjacent the front thereof; a switch seated on a portion of said strike member; a cover and securing member engageable with said strike member to secure said switch in a predetermined position relative to said strike member; and means to secure said strike member on said top surface of said tub, said securing means including fastening means adapted to be manipulated from the interior side of said tub. 